15 Hollywood celebs who have tread the boards

Lily James and Richard Madden in Romeo & Juliet
Credit: The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company

The show must go on!

With our July cover star Rebel Wilson announcing a limited eight-week run in London’s Guys and Dolls last month, we got to thinking about all the other amazing Hollywood A-Listers who have indulged in a spot of theatre over the years.

From Broadway to the West End, the A-list love getting to flex their acting muscles on stage and wrapping their tongues around a wordy monologue or two. Whether it be Shakespeare, a musical or even a one-man show, the stage is where the great and the good of film have long gone to hone their craft.

Revisit some of the most memorable on-stage outings from Hollywood, below.

Rebel Wilson

Rebel Wilson will be joining the cast ofGuys and Dolls in the West Endproduction of the play, for a limited time only from June until August 2016. The role will be the comedy actress’s first foray into stage work, where she’ll be playing Miss Adelaide. Speaking about the role, our July cover star said: ‘I am delighted to be making my West Enddebut in Guys & Dolls and to be playing such an iconic role as Miss Adelaide is truly an honor. Hopefully I crush it… butyou’ll have to come and see me to find out!’. Time to get our hands on tickets.

Pixie Lott

Singer Pixie Lott is currently running the promo trail for her most recent venture: her role as the lovable protagonist Holly Golightly in Truman Capote’s classic novella, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Nearly half a century after the Hollywood film starring Audrey Hepburn was first shown, the story is getting an onstage reboot, with Tony Award-winning playwright Richard Greenberg adapting the novella. Pixie – who is best know for her (circa-2009) spin on the pop merry-go-round with hits like Mama Do and Boys and Girls – will be taking on the iconic role. Having studied at stage-school, we’re excited to see what Pixie’s like on stage. We’re also liking the blonde hair twist on a classic.

Source: Pixie Lott as Holly Golightly by Uli Weber

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Lily James & Richard Madden

Most recently, former co-stars Lily James and Richard Madden teamed up with their Cinderella director Kenneth Branagh once more to perform as Shakespeare’s most famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet at the Garrick Theatre in London. Set in 50s era Italy, the twosome more than hold their own alongside a star-studded (and established theatre) cast and honestly, this is one of the best retellings of, arguably, Shakespeare’s best known tragedy in years. Plus, the best bit? It’s on for the whole summer.

Lupita Nyong’o

Remember that list of things Lupita Nyong’o wanted us to know? Well, that was for her Broadway debut in Eclipsed, a harrowing play about the Second Liberian Civil War told from the point of view of the female survivors and it featured the first ever all-black and all-female creative cast and team on Broadway.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Putting his LAMDA training to good use, Benedict isn’t a stranger to the theatre, having already scored three Laurence Olivier Award nominations for his many roles – including *the* event of the 2015 theatre season, Hamlet.

Tom Hiddleston

When he’s not stealing our hearts as TheNight Manager, or toying with our emotions on who will play James Bond, Tom prefers moonlighting as a theatre vet, having headlined at the Donmar Warehouse in London three times, most recently in a modern retelling of Coriolanus.

Nicole Kidman

In late 2015, Nicole Kidman had audiences flocking to the Noël Coward Theatre in London for her much anticipated return to the West End. Starring in Photograph 51 – a play about the overlooked contributions of Rosalind Franklin in discovering DNA – Nicole and the play earned glowing reviews, nabbing her a Laurence Olivier Award nomination and a transfer to Broadway in late 2016.

Kit Harington

When he isn’t breaking the internet for [spoiler alert!] being alive, Jon Snow actually enjoys his GoT downtime by treading the boards. A Central School of Speech and Drama graduate, Kit’s first post-graduate role was the lead in War Horse, but can be seen now in Doctor Faustus at the Duke of York’s theatre.

Carey Mulligan

Making her acting debut in a production of Forty Winks in London, Carey has jumped from stage to screen with ease, making her theatre comeback in 2015’s Skylight, for which she garnered a much-coveted Tony nomination.

Emma Stone

Taking over the reigns from fellow A-listers Sienna Miller and Michelle Williams, Emma Stone made her Broadway debut in 2014, taking on the lead in Cabaret. Donning burlesque get-up and a bold red lip, Emma was a hit with critics, proving this funny girl has the chops to be a musical star.

Gemma Arterton

Another actress to bounce seamlessly between stage and screen, Gemma – a former RADA student who shot to fame as Bond Girl Strawberry Fields after graduating – has starred in a multitude of West End projects, from 2016’s Nell Gwynn to a musical rendition of Made In Dagenham.

Hugh Jackman

Not only is Hugh an iconic film star with his long-running role as Wolverine and Oscar-nominated role as Les Mis‘ Jean Val Jean, but he’s also a Broadway vet, having a résumé filled with roles in one-man shows, winning a Tony award for The Boy From Oz (below) and even hosting the Tony Awards four times. Talk about a man of many talents.

Daniel Radcliffe

Who can forget when Harry Potter himself headed to the stage? Right in the middle of filming Harry Potter, Daniel threw off his Hogwarts robes – every night in fact – on the West End and Broadway in Equus. Not content with showing off his dramatic abilities just the once, Daniel returned to the theatre, taking on the musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, post-Potter to huge critical acclaim on Broadway. Go, Dan.

Luke Evans

Before he was Gaston (and a potential baddie in the upcoming The Girl On The Train) Luke Evans was an established theatre grad, who got his start on the boards. His breakout role was in the play Small Change at the Donmar Warehouse. The play earned him rave reviews and recognition from casting directors, landing him his first film audition at the age of 30.

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